


My Only One

by cordeliadelayne



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Dinner, Established Relationship, Fluff, Kissing, Light Angst, M/M, On the Run
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2017-12-05
Packaged: 2019-02-11 03:25:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12926316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordeliadelayne/pseuds/cordeliadelayne
Summary: Even though Steve and Bucky are on the run, it doesn't mean they can't make time for each other.





	My Only One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MusingsOnBuckyBarnes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusingsOnBuckyBarnes/gifts).



> Written as a Christmas present for the very lovely musingsonbuckybarnes.

The cafe was dark, lit only by candles, the two men inside mere shadows to the patrolling police officers. No one spared them a second glance, just two figures enjoying a romantic evening in the most romantic city in the world.

“Are you sure we should be doing this?” Bucky asked. “I don't want to put you in danger any more.”

“We have to eat, don't we?” Steve asked. He smiled at Bucky and poured them both a glass of wine. “The owner owes the Avenger's a favour. It's fine.”

Bucky didn't return the smile and stared out the window at the Eiffel Tower, sparkling in the darkness.

“Bucky, come on. You need to eat.”

Steve started on his food and Bucky eventually nodded and started eating too. They'd been on the run for weeks and Bucky was beyond running on empty. Steve didn't know how long he could keep his spirits up. If that was even possible until they reached some sort of conclusion, some den of safety that he wasn't sure even existed.

“S'good,” Bucky murmured around a mouthful of food and Steve brushed his foot against Bucky's leg.

Steve was about to say something, suggest they go to bed, suggest they stay right here, he hadn't quite decided when there was a flash to his right and Bucky was kicking over the table and pulling Steve behind it. Seconds later gunfire shattered the front door and hit the glasses and bottles behind the bar, sending shards of glass flying in all directions, many of them slicing into Steve and Bucky's skin, though neither would pay any attention to that until much later.

“Shield,” Bucky shouted, grabbing Steve's shield from where it had been propped up next to the bar and throwing it over. Steve caught hold of it and then jumped up, pulling Bucky behind the bar with him.

“How the hell did they find us?” Bucky asked.

“Let's worry about that later,” Steve replied. So much for a nice, quiet, romantic meal. “Your French is better than mine, what are they saying?”

“Surrender or death, same old same old,” Bucky replied. He leaned over the counter and snagged a piece of the broken mirror from behind the bar, using it to see what was going on. Neither he nor Steve wanted to use force against any of the police if they could avoid it.

“There's a trapdoor in the floor by the back door,” Steve told Bucky, nudging him towards it.

“How did you -”

“Courtesy of the Resistance during the War,” Steve explained. “And it would be really useful to use it right about...now.”

As he spoke the glass front of the restaurant completely shattered into a thousand shards and the awning above could be heard snapping and collapsing onto the ground. By the time the police had stormed the building, Bucky and Steve were long gone.

* * * * *

Bucky stared at himself in the bathroom mirror, his cuts efficiently cleaned by Steve who didn't seem at all bothered that he was now a wanted fugitive the world over. They were now hiding in the attic of a grand hotel that Steve said the police would never think to look in but Bucky still felt guilty; none of this would be happening if it weren't for him. Always him.

He'd almost made up his mind to slip out into the night when Steve knocked on the door.

“You ready?”

“One minute,” Bucky replied, willing his reflection to tell him something, anything, that he could use and then coming up blank.

When he finally came out of the bathroom it was to find a bottle of wine, half a loaf of bread and a block of cheese with a knife sticking out of it on a table lit by a single candle. Steve had also made a makeshift bed out of an old mattress and what looked like a dozen cushions and blankets.

“What's this?” Bucky asked.

“We're in the most romantic city on earth. Be a shame not to enjoy it, wouldn't it?”

Before Bucky could answer Steve pressed a kiss against his lips and he was falling into the kiss before he knew what he was doing. Steve pulled away with a smile.

“We're going to get through this. We're going to be fine.”

“Yeah? What makes you so sure of that?”

“We're together,” Steve said with a shrug, as if it was really that easy. Maybe it was. Maybe Bucky just liked making things complicated.

“Come on, sit,” Steve said. He sank down onto the mattress and patted the space next to him. Bucky looked around the room again before sitting down.

“Where did you find all this stuff?”

Steve shrugged, a little more tensely this time. “I'd been looking for you for a long time. Having some places to hide out in seemed like a good idea.”

“You've gone to a lot of trouble,” Bucky said. He didn't add that he didn't think it was worth it. He suspected he didn't have to.

“Nothing is too much trouble...no,” he said before Bucky could interrupt, “everything that's going on with the Avengers, with SHIELD, with Hydra, whatever else the universe is planning on throwing at us, nothing is too much trouble as long as we get to face it together. That's all I want.” He sighed. “That's all I've wanted for a very long time.”

Bucky had been studying his hands while Steve spoke but now he looked over at Steve, saw even more clearly how tired he was, how frayed he was around the edges. And how much of himself he kept putting out there. Time perhaps to do the same.

“I've missed you too,” Bucky said. “I – I didn't know what I was missing for a long time, but I knew I was missing something. Guess that thing was you, huh?”

Steve snorted softly to himself. “Guess so.” He took a deep breath and reached for the bottle of wine. “Drink?”

“There are no glasses.”

Steve took a glug straight from the bottle and handed it over to Bucky. Bucky grinned and took a long drink of his own.

“I would have thought you'd have picked up better habits than that up at Stark's fancy tower.”

Steve laughed. “Boy have I got some stories to tell you.”

Bucky leaned into Steve, pleased to hear him laughing once more; he'd missed that sound.

“You hungry?” Steve asked, leaning back into Bucky, pressing their legs together.

“No, thanks. Maybe a little tired though.” He winked at Steve then, just to have him laughing again.

“Sleep sounds good,” Steve agreed. He got up and Bucky was about to ask where he was going until he saw him gathering together some more blankets and then waited expectantly for Bucky to arrange himself on the bed. He thought of striking a pose but actually he was pretty tired and if he slept now then he could wake up first and make sure Steve's waking hour was a good one.

Steve lay down next to him and they spent an unnecessary five minutes getting themselves settled under the blankets.

“Thank you,” Bucky said, pressed close to Steve's chest and feeling mesmerised by the flutter of Steve's eyelashes.

“You never have to thank me for anything,” Steve said. He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss against Bucky's lips.

“All the same,” Bucky said. “It means more than I...” He stopped and lay his head against Steve's chest. “All the same, thank you.”

Steve hummed quietly and put his arm around Bucky. He kept humming softly, old nursery rhymes he remembered his mom singing to him, the odd tune of songs they'd sung in the trenches, radio jingles from old adverts, until Bucky's breathing slowed enough that Steve could be sure he was asleep. He wouldn't stay up all night listening to Bucky just be alive, but just long enough so that he could be sure it wasn't a dream.

And then they'd start all over again the next day, and the next, and however long it might take. For as long as they were together, nothing else mattered.


End file.
